Narrowboater saves man

NARROWBOATER Nicola Young did not hesitate to jump into the water to rescue a man who had fallen in, and is now in line for an award for her bravery.

It was late in the night when she heard a bump against her boat that was moored at Pewsey Vale on the Kennet & Avon Canal, and coming out wearing just her  pyjamas with a torch could see nothing, but a man on the towpath told her his friend had fallen in the water, Alan Tilbury reveals.

Recovery position

It was then she saw a hand in the beam of her torch, but the man was submerged, so she jumped in, and dragged him out, put him in the recovery position, that she had learnt with St John Ambulance classes, covered him and waited for the ambulance.

It was later discovered he was off a nearby hire boat, and he later wrote and thanked her for her prompt action.

Nicola has been short-listed for the Guy Evans Award given in memory of a  Didcot schoolboy whose moped ended up in a ditch in August 2008, but died because no one at the scene was first-aid trained.